Tag Archives: #100DaysofScouting

Wow, first post back in a very very long time. Fittingly, it is about food!

A couple of weekends ago, I went on a campout with Troop 18 (my son’s troop, where I am an Asst. Scoutmaster) to Put-in-Bay. We all agreed we wanted to spend as much time kayaking, fishing, going into town and bird watching, and as little time as possible cooking. So Saturday evening’s dinner was about as minimal as you can get, but it packed maximum flavor and the boys and adults all agreed it was just that. darn. good. The boys dubbed it “Prison Slop.” Here’s what would pass as a recipe:

Prison Slop

2 gallons water

1 box (6 lb) of instant mashed potato flakes

3 pounds cheese (shredded, cubed, type doesn’t really matter)

3 pillow packs (1.5 lbs) sliced pepperoni

Salt & Pepper to taste

(Equipment needed: One turkey fryer burner with propane tank, one large stock pot with lid, big spoon for mixing and serving.)

Heat the water in the pot until just starting to boil. Remove from heat and add potato flakes. Stir until well combined and mashed potatoes are achieved.

Add in the cheese and pepperoni and mix thoroughly, stirring until the cheese is melted.

So Friday was a pretty busy day. In addition to working a full day, we had family come into town for the Blue & Gold on Saturday. I also had plenty of prep work left to do for the Blue & Gold, but family takes priority so after work we were off to bd’s Mongolian Grill. I ❤ that place!

So after getting home from that and relaxing with the b-i-l and family, it was time to get started on the finishing touches for Blue & Gold. Looks like staying up all night working on the Webelos II slideshow is a tradition I could not break…

Finished up the slideshow about 6:45 AM on Saturday morning. It turned out great if I do say so myself. If I figure out a way to get it uploaded somewhere (it’s nearly 500MB) I’ll edit this post with a link. On a previous post I discussed what songs to use. This year was both easier and more difficult to figure out the songs (Wat?). Easier for a couple of the songs because I had overheard my boys talking in the car going to/from Klondike Derby back in January about what their favorite songs and/or bands were. Harder in that I couldn’t figure out what songs to use to fill it out after I used the ones of theirs that were appropriate.

By the way, there are exactly zero songs by Eminem or Avenged Sevenfold that are appropriate for Scouting functions. Even the ones you’d immediately think were okay, like “Lose Yourself” or “Not Afraid” aren’t any good. They’re tame…for Eminem. He still drops a few f-bombs and some of the lyrical content is sketchy while not profane. But while dramatically better than say “Kill You” or “Kim,” still as a whole not okay for use at Scouting events.

So anyway, our theme for B&G this year was “Knights of the Round Table.” As soon as I heard that, I knew Monty Python must be a part of the slideshow. I mean, c’mon! So I looked around and found on Youtube a video of the “Camelot” song re-shot completely in Lego. Win! I grabbed that and it became the intro to my slideshow.

So after the Lego Monty Phyton video, we start in with the pictures and the music. The songs (in random playing order except the first and last are where they’re supposed to be) were:

(There may be one more in there, I can’t remember though. I’ll have to check at home and edit this post if it is different.)

I hate to toot my own horn but it turned out awesome! You worry about how well things you create in the wee hours of the morning after 24+ hours of no sleep will be to people who aren’t slap happy. I’m glad it was pretty universally well liked!

To follow up on my post from yesterday, after several phone calls and IM conversations with a few different people it seems we have managed to fix the issue where the troop that was supposed to do our AOL ceremony this Saturday had to back out on us.

We found a ceremony that will probably work better. The ceremony Troop 572 does is great, but it involves setting an arrow aflame and with the way we did our career arrows for the boys that probably would not have been the ideal thing to do. So while looking around we found the “Career Arrow” AOL ceremony at this website. It seemed more appropriate and it only requires 1 indian costume.

Luckily our very good friend from church and Scouts, Josh – who recently completed his Eagle, turned 18 and became an Assistant Scoutmaster – said he would play that role. It helps that Josh is like eleven-bajillionty feet tall (okay, not really, but I’m sure if he’s not at least 7′ tall he’s darn close!), which adds to the awe-inspiring part for the wee guys. He also helped in last year’s AOL ceremony so he had a costume his size already, and our buddy Stan at Troop 18 still had it and was willing to help Josh out once he found out about our predicament.

We are also going to use a trick that we started doing in our ceremonies about 2 years ago that makes them seem much more professionally done. Since the lights are usually dim it is hard to see people’s mouths and our guys don’t really speak. Instead someone in the back with a script reads all the speaking parts and does voices. It seems weird but has worked out awesome for us.

So now I don’t have to worry as much about getting an AOL ceremony done, and can go back to worrying about everything else that isn’t done yet…like the slideshow! I got some pictures last night from the mom of one of my newer boys and now I just have to finish up getting the pictures in order and picking the music. I don’t want to give everything away but I already have an opening video/song, an intro and first song. Also have a closing sound bit and I think I’m going to use “Born to be a Scout” in there somewhere, but I need two or three more songs. Any suggestions? Here’s what I’ve used the last couple of years, I’d like not to repeat if possible:

2009
Survivor – “Eye of the Tiger”
Duran Duran – “Hungry Like the Wolf”
Barenaked Ladies – “The Other Day I Met a Bear”
Green Day – “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)

I am seriously freaking out right now. Several months ago, we scored an epic win by scheduling Troop 572 to do our AOL ceremony at Blue & Gold. 572 has hands down the best AOL ceremony around. We were all really pleased about this (okay, except the CM who is also a leader or three with Troop 718 and the leadership at Troop 718 who thought we should automatically have them do every ceremony for us all the time).

Today we’re getting down into the final stages of preparation for Saturday’s Blue & Gold Banquet, and our Advancement Chair sends an email to the Scoutmaster from Troop 572 to check in if they need anything from us. And the response we get back a little while later on (about an hour and a half ago) was that they have a conflict and cannot make our event. CRAP!

So what to do, what to do? Our OA chapter would likely not be willing to do a ceremony on such short notice…that is, if they were willing to do ceremonies at all. I’ve asked in the past and have been told that they only do ceremonies for their own use, not for anyone else. So much for the nice American Indian themed ceremony I think, unless we can pull something together in the next 72 hours…

(10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1…okay, I am calm.)

We’ll need to get cracking on either finding a replacement Troop or writing our own ceremony it seems. Guess I know what I’m doing for most of my free time the next few days.

(This is a follow-up to my previous post on Arrow of Light / Cub Scout Career Arrows, found here.)

So they’re done. Finally! And they look pretty sweet! Probably because after doing the design, I had NOTHING to do with them after. That task was undertaken by my lovely wife with the degree in Art!

So I kinda/sorta followed the ways that had been previously published, but we diverted in a few different areas and I think it turned out for the better that way.

First was that I bought the arrows. I know, there’s plenty of resources out there on how to make arrows, like these instructions from the November 2001 issue of Boys’ Life. But frankly, my time was worth more than the money of the parents in my den, so we purchased arrows. There are lots and lots of places to get arrows from, but I settled on the 25″ Agate Tipped arrow from arrow-of-light-awards.com. The price was not too high and they were in stock with quick shipping, and I liked the look of them. They are only 25″ long, so it is quite obvious they’re ceremonial (even the smallest Cub Scout bow will be too big to fire it). They showed up quickly and I was very impressed.

So then the next question was how do I mark the boys’ careers onto these arrows? Searching the web tells me that there are two main positions on this. One says to go the sticker route, and there are several places where you can buy pre-cut stickers in the appropriate colors and widths you need. Or you can go the paint route. Your nearest craft supply store, heck probably your nearest Megalomart probably has all the colors you need. But paint can get expensive and can be very messy. Frankly, I didn’t like either option.

So I went with a third option, which was to use colored embroidery floss wrapped around the shaft, and secured using Aleene’s Brush-On Tacky Glue. I went to my local Meijer and bought a couple of the packs of embroidery floss where you get 36 skeins of multiple colors for $5 a pack. I probably could have gotten the colors I needed cheaper by buying individual skeins from Michael’s but at the time I wasn’t sure what colors I was going to use for what. By buying one of the primary color sets and one of the pastel sets I was able to get every color I needed except something to work for the silver arrow points. For that we had to go to Michael’s and got a single skein of it there.

So now I had materials (arrows, floss, glue) and manpower (my wife), all I needed was a template and a color scheme. No brainer on that, right? There’s a few different variations out there, but most internet searches seem to point to pretty much the exact same pdf file. But I wasn’t happy with that file. First, it’s outdated. This goes back to the days when Tigers weren’t considered full members of the Pack and didn’t earn Bobcat until their Wolf year started. And there were other awards that I felt were pretty significant that were ignored. And frankly the spacing used on that pdf file wouldn’t fit on a 25″ arrow if a boy had done a LOT during his Cub Scouting career (and at least one of mine had). So what was I to do?

Of course, I made my own. Let it never be said that I’m a conformist.

My feeling is that if you are going to count Arrow Points and Webelos Activity Badges, then you should count Tiger Tracks. I also think that the Leave No Trace Award and the Good Turn for America Award should be included on the arrow. Both of these also require an advancement report to be generated.

So we started just after the arrowhead with Bobcat and worked our way down the shaft through the ranks and special awards. The table below I made to help keep track of Order, Sizing and color:

Cub Scout Career Arrow Order, Colors & Sizes

Badge / Award Name

Thread Color

Size on Arrow

Bobcat Badge

Black (Iris 148)

¾”

Tiger Badge

Orange (Iris 710)

¾”

Tiger Tracks (Elective beads)

Pale Yellow (Iris 323)

1/8” per bead earned

Wolf Badge

Red (Iris 128)

¾”

Wolf Gold Arrow Point

Gold (Iris 421)

½”

Wolf Silver Arrow Points

Silver (DMC 415)

1/8” per arrow point earned

Bear Badge

Aqua (Iris 100)

¾”

Wolf Gold Arrow Point

Gold (Iris 421)

½”

Wolf Silver Arrow Points

Silver (DMC 415)

1/8” per arrow point earned

Webelos Badge

Royal Blue (Iris 398)

¾”

Webelos Activity Badges

White (Iris 144)

1/8” per activity badge earned

Arrow of Light Badge

Bright Yellow (Iris 344)

1-½”

Religious Emblem Award

Tan (Iris 222)

¾”

Leave No Trace Award

Green (Iris ???)

¾”

World Conservation Award

Purple (Iris 755)

¾”

Good Turn for America Award

Red/White/Blue braided (Iris 128 / 144 / 986)

¾”

For the Good Turn for America Award, we tried to find a varigated thread of red, white & blue but couldn’t find anything close. So Jenny braided the three colors together and it looks really good! It is only slightly taller off the shaft than the regular floss and really isn’t very noticeable. I like it!

I asked each family to fill out a quick form to verify what the boy did and didn’t earn, I’ll attach a blank copy. For all the things they did since Webleos, I had the info because I’ve been the den leader and we’ve used Scouttrack. But for Tiger, Wolf & Bear, the former den leader kept paper records which were pretty accurate but I wanted confirmation from the families. And one of my boys was in a different pack before Webelos and transferred to ours later on, so I didn’t have any of his previous records.

I used the data collected from the families for each boy to make a template in Word. Just made a simple 2 row table and adjusted the column width appropriately for how wide each item should be. The cell in row one was just filled with that color (or an approximation), and the cell in row 2 I put the actual measurement of how wide the ring should be. Then I gave it all to my lovely wife, and viola!

Sorry to disappear for several days there, but I’ve been incommunicado. I wasn’t abandoning my 100 Days of Scouting efforts, I was immersed in a totally new (to me) Scouting environment: Girl Scout encampments.

I’ve stopped counting how many bag nights I’ve had camping as a Scout leader since getting back into the movement in 2006, but I’m sure I’m well over 100 by now. But all of them had been with either Cub Scouts or Boy Scouts. My oldest has been a Girl Scout since Kindergarten and other than writing the checks for fees to camp and other events each year, I hadn’t been very involved with her program. I always felt a little bad about that considering how much time I put into BSA programs with Jon in all the roles I do at the pack level and above.

So when Brandi (former Cubmaster for the pack, was my program director for 2008 Cub Twilight Camp in Springboro and is currently the Service Unit Manager for NOVA 449 of the Girl Scouts of Western Ohio) asked me to take a position as part of the service unit team as “Camping Coordinator” I agreed. That was about six 8 months ago. I helped with a campout last summer that ended up being about 10 people total, and then I helped give the CSA a presentation on Campfire Program Planning (I used the same course materials I taught at University of Scouting). I also showed up to a couple of meetings and helped teach knots to some of the girls. Overall, it wasn’t too much work but I was glad to help.

The first big event that I was drafted to assist with was the winter campout. This is a pretty big deal, one of the larger events the Service Unit pulls off each year. In 2010 there were about 85 total people there (campers, program aide’s [PA’s] and adults). This year our attendance went up and we had 118 people registered (several no show’ed on us, I think about 113-115 actually showed up).

We held the event at Camp Stonybrook over on Route 73 near Waynesville. It was the first time I had spent more than a few minutes at that camp, and it was very nice! We had the dining hall and the two lodges that are grouped nearby (Pinetree and Ittman), as well as the Director’s Cabin nearby down the hill. There were girls aged from 5 (Kindergarten) to 17 (High School). They were divided up based on age and program level. Daisies had one side of Pinetree and were one group. The Brownies were broken into two groups (pink and yellow) and all stayed on the other side of Pinetree. The juniors were also broken into two groups (Red and Aqua) and took half of Ittman, while the other half of Ittman were our PA’s and PA’s in training (Cadette and older). The most experienced and mostly the oldest of the PA’s, our Leader PA’s (LPA’s) were in the Director’s Cabin. Each area separate sleeping areas for youth and adults and there were adult leaders with them. Being the only male in the entire camp, I got the entire dining hall to myself. I also got my own special bathroom.

We started the event on Friday about 6:00 PM and ended about 3:00 PM on Sunday. The camp-in (called a camp-in because they were sleeping in lodges not tents) was themed “Camp Like an Egyptian” and most activities were based around that theme.

I was really impressed with the whole experience. And honestly, it wasn’t too much different than running a Cub Scout camping event for about the same amount of people, at least from the standpoint in what I was doing as Camp Director. The biggest differences I noticed:

Camp names. We use nicknames in my den, but each leader and PA had their own camp name that was used solely in place of their regular name.

Songs – Not that there aren’t songs at Cub Scout camp, far from it. They were just different songs. And some of them are STUCK. IN. MY. HEAD. three days after camp!

I personally had a great experience and was really glad to have been able to go and help out (or at least I hope I helped out). The girls were great! And the LPA’s really were on the ball with being in front to get done what needed to get done, if Brandi or I needed something we told one of them and they made it happen. And everyone seemed to be okay with having a (big hairy) man there, and letting me throw in a couple of things I thought would be neat to do, like introducing the girls to the Order of the Fork!

So now that I’m recuperated from that event (being up dealing with issues until 2:30 – 4:30 each night will make you kind of tired), we are working on an online survey for the parents to take to use as feedback for next year’s event.

And then, after I get through Blue & Gold this weekend, we start planning the Service Unit spring camp-out (at Camp Hook in May). And then the Pack campout in the summer as well. I think I’m going to be criss-crossing ideas and ways of doing things back and forth, kind of using the best of both worlds.

So if you couldn’t tell from previous posts, one of the things I like about camping is the outdoor cooking. And that includes backpacking. I’m all for lightweight, believe me, but not at the expense of MAH BELLAH! 🙂

So this week’s shiny of the week is my Jetboil. I’ve had one for several years now, and it is one of my favorite pieces of gear. Originally a backpacking buddy got the Jetboil PCS [Personal Cooking System] and I bought an extra cup for it. But then I got a great deal on the GCS [Group Cooking System] (the version with the 1.5 liter pot) so I picked that up. I am a huge fan. It is relatively lighweight, packs down pretty small, and is well designed. And it boils water LIKE A BOSS! 1 cup of water boiled in under 90 seconds, that’s insane! And also pretty fuel efficient. I’ve been able to do a 4-day, 50-mile trek on the AT through part of the Smokies and only used one tank of fuel…actually less than one tank as it lasted a couple more trips after that as well!

Okay sure, it isn’t superlight. You want to worry about superlight, make your own alcohol stove with a soda can. I can deal with the extra weight to get the performance I need.

The one thing that it has done is made me rethink how I cook when I’m on the trail. Cleanup on a jetboil when you’re boiling water is a snap, and if you’re just reheating something it doesn’t take much more work either. If you’re doing some serious cooking though, just like any backpacking stove it will take longer to clean than just heating.

So I tend to plan my meals based around foods that will only need heating, not cooking, when on the trail. What’s the difference? Well, a Lipton Rice & Sauce needs cooked. But instant mashed potatoes just need heated. And they’re much easier to clean up. Some items that get cooked, mostly your soups (like ramen) are pretty easy on the cleanup too, but if you’re getting into sauces that thicken and can stick/burn onto the pot, that’s another story. As you could guess by my Shiny of the Week for last week, I’m not a fan of cleaning up after meals so anything I can do through planning and preparation to reduce cleaning, I’m all for that!

I’ve used the small folding stoves with the trioxane fuel tabs, and cooking over a campfire, and been able to try out other backpacking stoves over the years. But I really like the Jetboil best.

Now that Jon is about to cross over to a Troop and start backpacking more on his own, he’s going to need a new stove. I’m considering giving him my PCS and buying one of the new Jetboil Flash systems…that wouldnt’ be wrong, would it?

So it seems like each Wednesday was the day to post something food related, so I’ll keep with that topic for this week.

At our district’s Klondike Derby each year, the adults from each unit who run the cities participate in a chili cook-off. There’s a travelling trophy that gets engraved with the winner’s name and that unit holds onto it for the next year and it is handed in, re-engraved and handed out to the next year’s winner. Neat idea. Plus in the early January cold it is always nice to be able to get some warm grub at each station!

So last weekend was our district’s first ever Cub Klondike (see my previous post), and I decided at rather the last minute (10:00 PM the night before) that I was going to make chili at my city. I ran Nome where we did the Good Camp / Bad Camp station (I set up the camp and made five errors that were either poor camping skills or violating Leave No Trace and the boys had to identify each to me for their nuggets), so I was already going to have a kitchen set up, why not cook? So I threw together a chili which isn’t terribly original but turned out excellent if I do say so myself (and I do, as did several other people at the event who partook in it). So I figured I’d share the recipe.

(I should note that my “recipe” was basically to take the instructions from the back of the chili seasoning packet and modify it with some extra stuff, so McCormick’s should get some of the credit I suppose. What can I say, it was 9 hours before the event and I needed to get some sleep, I didn’t have time to come up with my own seasoning mix! Next time I’ll be more creative, and I’ll be sure to share the results with you too!)

Middletownscouter’s Special Valentine’s Day “Hearts on Fire” Chili

2 packages McCormick’s HOT chili seasoning mix

1 package McCormick’s original chili seasoning mix

3 pounds ground beef

2 8-oz cans Tomato Sauce

2 15-oz cans chili ready diced tomatoes (with onions)

1 15-oz can hot chili beans

1 30-oz can regular chili beans

6 cups water

kosher salt

ground black pepper

garlic powder

Diced white onion (optional)

Shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

Sliced pickled jalapeños (optional)

Sour Cream (optional)

Crackers (optional)

(Note: I cooked this recipe over a propane camp stove. You could also do this over a campfire but be careful to monitor constantly to ensure even heating and no burning. You also will want to soap the OUTSIDE bottom and sides of your pot so they don’t get permanently carbon scored.)

Season the ground beef with salt, pepper and garlic powder, then brown in a large stock pot. Once there is no longer any visible pink in your ground beef, drain off the fat and return the pot to your heat source.

Add in the seasoning mix, tomatoes, tomato sauce, beans and water. Stir until everything is completely combined. (Note, if you are doing this at camp, it helps to bring a can opener. Opening six cans of stuff with a pocket knife takes a lot of effort and a lot of time)

Bring chili to a boil, stirring occasionally (making sure to hit the bottom of the pot so nothing sticks and burns on). Once the chili is boiling turn down the heat (or move to a cooler area of the campfire) and allow to simmer until at the desired thickness / consistency.

Tonight I am going to induct my five Webelos II’s into the Order of the Fork. I have been trying to restart this tradition in our pack for four years, but keep forgetting at each campout. So tonight over pizza they will be “forked in” and become members. At the Blue & Gold at the end of the month, they will fork in one new member each and I will fork in one of the leaders. Then it will be up to them to carry on the tradition in the pack.

What is the Order of the Fork? It is “a society so secret, even it’s own members don’t know it’s purpose!” Seriously though, it’s more of a tongue in cheek / goofy thing, at least the version I remember. I know that the Order of the Fork exists in Scout camps and non-Scout camps alike all over, and in some it sounds as if there was some hazing or some sort of ritual embarassment going on to it’s new members. That isn’t the case in our OotF, anyway.

For the pack, I envision it as more of an honor society for the pack. Scouts who are very active within the pack or who are model campers or whatever will get forked in at a meal, whether it is at our Blue & Gold or some other camp out or event. Then they in turn will become members.

They make a spoof square knot patch, and a spoof lodge flap for it. I ordered the square knot patches for my boys. We also have a segment patch program that we are implementing where each time a Scout camps with us he has the opportunity to purchase a segment patch. When all together, the segments will encircle a 3″ round patch (the size of the custom camp patches we order each year for our summer campout). The segments are:

Tiger Cub

Cub Scout

Webelos Scout

Boy Scout

Leader

Order of the Fork

That’s our preview artwork of the 2010 summer campout patch along with the segments patches. They look even better in real life!

We have about 400 total segments patches at my house right now. If a person camps with us while a registered Scout or Leader they are eligible to buy ($1 each) the segment they have earned. Right now there is only one person I know of who is eligible to purchase all of the segments due to their history as a Cub Scout with Pack 19, Boy Scout with Troop 18, and now as a leader with Pack 19.

Hopefully after my boys are gone into Boy Scouts the tradition will continue into the future with the pack for years to come.

Tomorrow is the last regularly scheduled Lightning Dragon den meeting. It should be pretty productive too. Lots to get accomplished. On the list of things to do:

Gathering – Collect homework / sign off on AOL for the last 2 boys in the den to be completed (they both had to finish the Showman Activity Badge) / Set up room [prior to meeting]

Opening (Flags / Pledge / Oath / Law) [5 min]

Pizza! [25 min]

Work on Career Arrows [45 min]

Song Practice [10 min]

Announcements / Closing [5 min]

I think I’m going to have to have Jenny drop Jon and I off early and then go pick up the pizzas so we can get started on time. I am going to email/call all the families today to remind them what they need to bring and also that this meeting is going to run 1.5 hours instead of the usual 1 hour session. If the boys don’t get their career arrows done in time, they’ll have to take them home,finish them as homework and bring them back at the Blue & Gold.

Also will need to get B&G headcounts at the meeting tomorrow so that we can make sure there’s enough tables and food put out. I think we’re already over 10 people coming for just our family and friends.

So most churches celebrated Scout Sunday last Sunday. However, at First Presbyterian Church (my home church) we do Scout Sunday the 2nd weekend in February because it won’t double-up with communion Sundays, which are long enough as it is. This is the 5th Scout Sunday I’ve helped plan at the church and each year it keeps getting better and better.

This year we had Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Venturers and Girl Scouts helping as worship assistants. The only person involved in the service (besides the choir) who weren’t current or former Scouts was the organist (I believe; I think the pianist was a Girl Scout in her youth). I was very happy with how it turned out. Here’s the layout of the service (items in bold are also read by the congregation in unison):

CALL TO WORSHIP (responsive) – Pastor (Eagle Scout)
The Lord be with you.And also with you. This is the day that the Lord has made;Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

PRAYER OF PRAISE AND ADORATION (unison) – Brownie Girl ScoutEternal God, our beginning and our end, be our starting point and our haven, and accompany us in this day’s journey. Use our hands to do the work of your creation, and use our lives to bring others the new life you give this world in Jesus Christ, Redeemer of all. Amen.

HYMNAL #564 – O Beautiful for Spacious Skies (Materna)

PRAYER OF CONFESSION (unison) – Junior Girl ScoutAlmighty God, who made light to shine in the darkness, shine now in our hearts. We confess that we have sinned and have not walked in your light. Forgive us, we pray, and restore us to the way of Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen.

SILENT CONFESSION

DECLARATION OF PARDON – Junior Girl Scout

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND THE PEACE

CIRCLE TIME FOR YOUNG DISCIPLES – Eagle Scout

RESPONSE – HYMN #338 – Kum ba Yah (verses 1 & 4)

PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION – Webelos Scout

FIRST SCRIPTURE LESSON – Deuteronomy 30: 15-20 – Webelos Scout
See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, death and adversity. If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I am commanding you today, by loving the Lord your God, walking in his ways, and observing his commandments, decrees, and ordinances, then you shall live and become numerous, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to possess. But if your heart turns away and you do not hear, but are led astray to bow down to other gods and serve them, I declare to you today that you shall perish; you shall not live long in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and holding fast to him; for that means life to you and length of days, so that you may live in the land that the Lord swore to give to your ancestors, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.

PSALM 119: 1-8 (responsive) – Brownie Girl Scout
Happy are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord.Happy are those who keep his decrees, who seek him with their whole heart, who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways. You have commanded your precepts to be kept dilligently. O that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes!
Then I shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.I will praise you with an upright heart, when I learn your righteous ordinances. I will observe your statutes; do not utterly forsake me.

SECOND SCRIPTURE LESSON – 1 Corinthians 3: 1-9 – Pastor (Eagle Scout)
And so, brothers and sisters, I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but rather as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for solid food. Even now you are still not ready, for you are still of the flesh. For as long as there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not of the flesh, and behaving according to human inclinations? For when one says, “I belong to Paul,” and another, “I belong to Apollos,” are you not merely human?
What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you came to believe, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neighter the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. The one who plants and the one who waters have a common purpose, and each will receive wages according to the labor of each. For we are God’s servants, working together; you are God’s field, God’s building.
The Word of the Lord!Thanks be to God!

SERMON – “Trail the Eagle” – Pastor (Eagle Scout)

A MOMENT FOR SILENT MEDITATION

HYMN – “Philmont Prayer” (sung to the tune of “Eternal Father, Strong to Save”)Almighty God of hill and plain,
O’er which we hike in sun and rain,On mountain top and valley low,Protect us, Lord, where’er we go.And from our grateful hearts we’ll raiseGlad hymns of thankfulness and praise.

AFFIRMATION OF FAITH (unison) – from “The Brief Statement of Faith” – Boy ScoutWe trust in Jesus Chris, fully human, fully God. Jesus proclaimed the reign of God: preaching good news to the poor and release to the captives, teaching by word and deed and blessing the children, healing the sick and binding up the brokenhearted, eating with outcasts, forgiving sinners, and calling all to repent and believe the gospel. Unjustly condemned for blasphemy and sedition, Jesus was crucified, suffering the depths of human pain and giving his life for the sins of the world. God raised this Jesus from the dead, vindicating his sinless life, breaking the power of sin and evil, delivering us from death to life eternal.

GLORIA PATRI – HYMNAL #579Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end,Amen, Amen!

THE LORD’S PRAYER (unison)Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed by thy name; thy kingdom come, they will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

HYMN – “Scout Vespers” (sung to the tune of “O Tannenbaum”)Softly falls the light of dayWhile our campfire fades away.Silently each Scout should askHave I done my daily task?Have I kept my honor bright?Can I guiltless sleep tonight?Have I done and have I daredEverything to be prepared?

Listen Lord, oh listen Lord,As I whisper soft and low.Bless my mom and bless my dad,These are things that they should know.I will keep my honor bright,The oath and law will be my guide.And mom and dad this you should know,Deep in my heart I love you so.

Everyone who was a part of the service did an excellent job, especially those doing the readings (one of whom was terrified of going up and speaking in front of the whole church).

After we got done eight of us went and had our traditional Scout Sunday brunch at Frisch’s. All in all I was very happy with how well everything went. Next year we are probably going to move our Scout Sunday to March 11 to be closer to the Girl Scout’s 100th birthday (3/12/12).

Nowdays, just about everyone has a mobile phone, or an iPod or some other electronic device that has those battery bars on them. We are all familiar with the bars, and what happens when there are no bars. Sometimes the little picture of the battery flashes, sometimes you get warnings about low battery. And sometimes you have to see for yourself because there isn’t a warning. But in all cases, if we don’t plug that device in and recharge the batteries, it will turn itself off. It will stop operating properly (or at all).

If only we could have those little battery lights over our heads too, so we could know when our batteries need recharged. I think I saw a commercial for a hotel chain or something like that with this premise, but I’m not just talking about getting a good night’s sleep here. I’m talking about something a little more profound I suppose. Where it isn’t just physically tired, it’s that feeling of being fully drained. Unmotivated. Meh. Whatever you want to call it. In Scouts, for those of us who volunteer (or were volun-told) as leaders, I call it Scouting Burnout.

Scouting Burnout (noun)
1. Exhaustion of physical or emotional strength or motivation (aka “Scouting Spirit”) usually as a result of prolonged stress or frustration (see also: dealing with parents)

And it happens to all of us at some point. Sometimes it is just as small as “You know, what? No. I’m not going to go to that meeting or run that event. Let someone else do it.” Sometimes though it’s the mass email to everyone you can think of telling them all how you really feel and that you’re done. Not just burning the bridges, but setting them up with the C4 charges and KABLOOEY! Unfortunately that can lead to salting the earth as well and cause an otherwise good unit to struggle or fail. Luckily, most Scouting Burnout falls towards the first part of the scale and goes up to “I’m out” without the drama.

Over the last several years since I became a Scouter, I have seen the entire range of Scouting Burnout in other leaders that I’ve known and been close with (including the salting the earth type, at least twice). And I’ve had my fair share of burnout as well. The key is to deal with it early before it builds up and causes drama to ensue. Everyone has their own way to relax, and when Scouts is that way and it is stressing you, that is double-plus-ungood. So how do you relax and recharge from your relaxation activity? Work? I think not! For everyone, their way to recharge their Scouting spirit is different.

For me, I go to camp. Spending a week at resident camp, not worrying about parents or checkbook balances or the next meeting or event, getting to spend time with my boys, that’s what recharges me. Not just getting to watch my boys do all those great things that Scouting offers, but getting to do it too. I get to be a big 8 year old and it is a blast! I come home and my Scouting Spirit is at max power, ready to go. It’s almost kind of a letdown to come home from camp and realize slowly that the rest of the world isn’t as great as camp was. Alas, real life does tend to intervene. But the time spent at that camp really amps me up in the Scouting sense. My wife will tell you that physically it is the opposite though, I am usually exhausted and completely worthless for a few days after we get back. 🙂

Unfortunately, resident camp is only one time a year. So what do I do in the meanwhile? Well, we camp out a lot, but it isn’t quite the same thing (very close though). But one of the neat things that happened last year was National Jamboree. I didn’t get to go this time around (I am *so* at the Summit in 2013!), but I spent the entire week listening in on QBSA Jambo Radio that I came across with much the same effect. The best part was heading down to our local council service center to watch the live stream of A Shining Light. That was great. I also DVR’ed it so I can rewatch at home at my leisure, thanks to Dish Network and BYU-TV.

The best part? Mike Rowe. I really think his speech was the highlight of the second arena show (Switchfoot and Alex Boye were also great too). So when I start to get a wee bit into those low bars on my Scoutometer, I jump onto UStream and re-watch his speech. So below is either the video embedded into this post or a link to it (I’m having issues getting it to play nicely).

These things are the bomb! They make the worst part of dutch oven cooking (clean up) the best part! So worth the cost. I know lots of units will use aluminum foil to line their dutch ovens and that works but whatever you’re cooking (say beans or chili) could get through where the foil overlaps or stirring can destroy the foil and then you get baked on bean residue in your dutch oven (and possibly a little extra aluminum in your diet if you don’t watch out). These liners are so much easier than that. When you’re done you just lift it out and the already clean dutch oven is ready to be oiled and put away. Just like that! I am now a fan.

I’ll even go to the Walmarts to buy them, and I make a point to never shop there normally! So kind of a short post today, but that’s my first “Shiny of the Week.” What do you guys think about the liners, or what method have you found that works well on making dutch oven cleanup easier?

Anyway, goodness knows I love me some taters. Especially on campouts. And I have to say that the newest addition to Scouting Magazine over the last few issues has been the article on Dutch Oven cooking and it is great! I previously posted about the Kalamata Roast recipe that we made back at John Colter in November 2010. This post is about the Udder Potatoes recipe found in the most recent issue.

For Christmas my Jen-nay (we’s like peas and carrots) got me a Lodge 12″ Cast Iron Camping Dutch Oven. What’s the difference between a camping dutch oven and a regular dutch oven? Nothing outrageous. But the camping dutch ovens have the three peg-legs on the bottom and the lid has the lip on top – both made to more effectively deal with charcoal. And they’re great! Even with all the technological advances in cookware over the last couple of centuries, cast iron still remains as the king of the hill, and for good reason. It works!

I *heart* my dutch oven, it is great! I’ve already used it a few times since Christmas and it is also the nifty BSA logo branded one. You can buy your own at your local Scout Shop (here is a link to the Scoutstuff.org page on it), or via Lodge’s website here. I’d suggest going through your local Scout Shop to save on shipping (it is heavy) and because the price is about $70 compared to nearly $100 at other places. The pricetag seems steep but it is worth every penny.

So anyway, back to the taters…

I saw the recipe in the most recent issue of Scouting and decided that it would be a great dish to try for the Pack Winter Campout in January. I had all the Webelos with me in a primitive cabin area of Camp Birch while the rest of the pack was in the comfort of the brand new Turner Building. Here’s the recipe:

Pour cream over potato mixture and place butter slices on top. Bake in a 12-inch Dutch oven at 350 degrees (16 coals on top, 10 coals below) for 45 minutes. Remove pot from bottom heat. Put bottom coals on top of lid and tilt the lid slightly open for 15-20 minutes until browned on top.

I guarantee once your Scouts get a taste of this dish, if you ever ask them if they want scalloped or cheese potatoes again, they will all cry out, “No! We want the udder ones!”

Serves: 15-18

So we didn’t exactly follow the recipe, but they turned out amazing. First off, who uses half a pound of bacon when you’re camping? You can buy bacon at the grocery normally in 12 oz or 16 oz packages. So we used a 12 oz package, but we used the whole package. Extra bacon is good for the soul. Likewise with the heavy cream. I don’t know where you can buy 3-1/2 cups of cream. I see it in pints and quarts. So we bought a quart and used the whole quart – no point in saving half a cup of heavy cream when you’re on a campout.

Due to the extreme cold at the time, we used extra coals and due to the extra liquid I cooked it a little longer than originally stated. Came out AWESOME! I’ve remade it two times since then with great results too.

My personal preference it to lighten up on the green onion because that flavor can easily overpower, and more bacon because, well, it’s bacon! Jen-nay thinks cheese would make it even better, I think it is fine without the cheese. But I’m thinking about getting some of the cheese flavored french fried onion pieces and for the last five minutes of cooking sprinkle those across the top for crunch.

So now I’ve got dutch oven posts on a main dish, side dish and dessert. Wonder what will be next? We’ll have to wait and see…

Most everyone is familiar with the Klondike Derby, where teams of Webelos, Boys Scouts or Venturers pull decent sized sleds through the (mud/slush/snow/ice) going to different cities and earning gold nuggets. But what about a version for Cub Scouts?

Well, in Dan Beard Council, up until last year we had “Cub Winter Day.” It was a station-based outdoors event at Cub World and was very fun and well attended. But in 2010 council decided to move it from December/January to April and rename it “Cub Cabin Fever Fest.” But they forgot to tell everyone that it was the Cub Winter Day re-branded, and did a lackluster job of promoting it. Registrations flagged, and it was cancelled. For the 2010-2011 program year, council did not include either Cub Winter Day or Cub Cabin Fever Fest on their calendar. Does this spell the end for an wintertime outdoor experience for the Cubbies?

NO!

In Miami Valley Council, their southeastern district (currently the Wright Brothers district) has been running a “Cub Klondike” since about 1985. This event is similar to the Klondike for the older kids in that the boys are in small teams (3 – 6 boys I believe), and they pull a sled carrying needed gear around a course to do activities. But the sleds are plastic snow sleds not big Klondike sledges, the gear needed is rather minimal and nearly no skills are required. It is more about fun and teamwork than anything else.

This looks to be an excellent event and lots of fun for the boys, so if you haven’t already registered you should strongly consider attending. Online registration has closed but the Grand Poobah of the event has told me that walk-in’s are going to be accepted. Cost is a measly $6 per Scout (adults are free).

“What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from.”
-T.S. Eliot

Today marks the 101st birthday of the Boy Scouts of America! I know how we’ll be opening our pack meeting tonight, maybe with a little singing? It was on this day 101 years ago that a group of men including the namesake of our council (Daniel Carter Beard) got together to begin the process of transplanting the Scouting movement across the pond from Great Britian to America. And over those last 101 years we have seen what is undeniably the largest and most effective youth leadership training program in the country. The BSA is the second largest Scouting organization in the world (second only to Indonesia whose 17+ million Scouts make up nearly 40% of the world’s active Scouting population). Over 2 million young men have attained the highest rank of Eagle, and the list of influential people in positions of power in this country who were Scouts is amazing. I am glad to have been (and continue to be) affiliated with Scouting as both a youth and adult, and look forward to what is to come as the BSA trailblazes into the future.

Today is also a memorable day in the Scouting career of my son (and to me as well). It is his 45th pack meeting as a Cub Scout with Pack 19. It is also his last. He has never missed a Pack meeting that I can recall! Some have been awesome (bringing in the police department, fire department and animal handlers), and some not so much (the ritualistic handing out of the plastic baggies of awards, then we have announcements and then we go home), but overall they’ve been fun.

It occurs to me that this month is a lot of “lasts” for my Lightning Dragons. Saturday was our last Pinewood Derby. Today is our last pack meeting as Cub Scouts. Next Tuesday is our last den meeting. And on the 26th is our last Blue & Gold Banquet and their last day as Cub Scouts. Frankly, since the beginning of March 2010 this has felt like we were on some kind of farewell tour. And there have been a few times where it hit me a little bit to realize that this would be our last week at Adventure Camp, or Fun With Son, or our Pack Summer Campout. And yeah, it makes me a little sad to think about how in just a few short weeks we won’t be in Cub Scout Pack 19 anymore.

Honestly I think I should feel that way. We have devoted a large deal of our time for several years to this organization. We’ve had some struggles, and lots of triumphs, and developed a lot of really good relationships along the way. We in Pack 19 (and I mean all of us, not just my family) are lucky to have a wonderful group of families who all work together to do great things for these young men.

So while February may be a month of “lasts” for Jon and Jenny and I, the most important thing is that February is also the month for the beginning of some “firsts.” On February 26th, which is Jon’s last day as a Cub Scout, it is also his first day as a Boy Scout. And then moving into March, we have his first Troop meeting, his first troop campout at Red River Gorge (also a first visit for him), and so and and so forth leading up to a first Court of Honor and his first week at Boy Scout resident camp (as opposed to Cub Scouts).

So I’m going to try to enjoy the lasts while we can and not be too sad about them, because the firsts start right after, and that’s where the real adventure begins!